Clocks Tick
by AndreggvilJammer
Summary: "Sometimes hours can feel like minutes. And sometimes a single second can last a lifetime. For Barney, a second that would never end... was this one." - Future Ted. How I think "Tick, Tick, Tick..." should've ended.


**A/N: **If you haven't heard of me, awesome. This is my first contribution to the HIMYM archive. I finished all seven seasons until the latest episode these last two weeks because of a stupid bet I made with my friend and the excitement and hyperactivity from watching it. BROtp is the best. Enjoy.

**Dedication: **To my lovely friend, to whom if she had not introduced me to HIMYM a long time ago, I would never really have known about it. And to Star World, for playing half an episode and getting me completely hooked after that.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own HIMYM. Nor do I own Barney Stinson, unfortunately.

**Summary: **"Sometimes hours can feel like minutes. And sometimes a single second can last a lifetime. For Barney, a second that wouldn't end… was this one." – Future Ted. How I think "Tick, Tick, Tick…" should've ended.

* * *

**Clocks Tick**

* * *

Einstein was right.

Time moves at different speeds.

To Barney, the previous night raced by in a blur.

But then, all of a sudden…

Time stopped.

* * *

You look at her with a disbelieving smile. You jerk your head towards Kevin.

She looks back at you, eyes unhesitant.

This was the moment you have been waiting for, ever since you broke up with her.

You wanted the answer you were willing for.

You wanted a nod.

A simple nod that would finally get you want you want; what you need.

But as the universe would have it, she shakes her head.

* * *

_Tick, tick, tick, tick… tick… tick._

* * *

Sometimes hours can feel like minutes.

And sometimes a single second can last a lifetime.

For Barney, a second that wouldn't end…

Was this one.

* * *

The scorching anger is tearing through your heart.

You angrily collect the rose petals from her bed and stuff them in a sack.

As your anger fades, you put the sack down quietly.

You make your way towards the scented candles and gently blow them out.

You were so sure that tonight was going to be the night.

The night you really made her yours forever.

But it was more than clear.

She didn't want to risk hurting such a nice guy.

She didn't want to dump him, for fear _you'd_ dump _her._

She didn't want to love you.

* * *

Barney headed back to his apartment after discarding the rose petals and scented candles.

He made a beeline for the new wine and beer cabinet he installed in the kitchen.

Opening it, he takes out a huge bottle of scotch and fills his cup to the brim.

Downing it in very few gulps, he fills the cup to the brim again.

He was willing to do anything to drown out the sounds of his heart breaking.

He was willing to do anything to numb out the pain.

Tears stung his eyes.

He didn't hold back.

He let the tears fall free.

* * *

You are standing at his door, determined to talk to him about this.

Make him see some sense.

"_I know you hooked up with him."_

Lily's voice comes floating to your head.

"_I know he dumped Nora so he could be with you._

_"I know that you didn't dump Kevin, because you didn't want to risk such a nice guy._

_"I know that you didn't dump Kevin, because you feared Barney would dump you._

_"I know that you didn't dump Kevin, because you didn't want to love Barney._

_"But he's heartbroken._

_"The least you could do is talk to him and apologize._

_"You think I didn't see how his face lit up and how he positively glowed when he saw you come in the bar?_

_"You crushed him, Robin._

_"I know I'm your best friend, but this time I'm supporting Barney._

_"Even he doesn't deserve to be destroyed like this._

_"He dumped Nora for you._

_"Don't stick with Kevin anymore._

_"You know what your heart wants._

_"You know what your heart needs._

_"You know that…"_

Lily had paused back in the bar, taking a deep breath and giving you "The Look", telling you that you knew what she was going to say.

_"You love Barney."_

Sweet Mother of God.

You hate it when Lily is right.

He's head over heels in love with you.

And you aren't going to lie; you are head over heels in love with him too.

But you have to set things straight.

You can't dump Kevin just because of this.

Just because… you love Barney.

"Oh, who am I kidding…" you mutter irately.

Your finger, which has been hovering over the doorbell for quite some time, finally presses down on the button.

No answer.

You wait for several minutes before pressing the bell again.

You realize that there is light inside the apartment.

You know he's inside, and you know that he never locks the door when he's inside.

Impatient, you open his front door slowly, to find him drunk, on the couch, with his hands over his eyes.

He was still.

You could see two and three quarter bottles of scotch on his coffee table.

Your heart just breaks at the sight of him.

How you pretty much stomped on his feelings and crushed his heart into millions of pieces.

You shut the door quietly.

"Let's talk."

You whisper.

You see him nod faintly.

And you talk.

* * *

He couldn't believe she came to his apartment.

He listened to whatever Robin was saying.

Still heartbroken, he sat up and made a reach for another cup of fine scotch.

He gestured for her to help herself, but Robin seemed like she owed him so much she couldn't possibly bring herself to even take a little sip of that stuff.

He started tuning out what she was saying, and focused on the seemingly fascinating (at the moment) swirl of honey-colored liquid inside his cup that he'd downed for what seemed to be the hundredth time.

Robin realized he wasn't actually listening to her, after a lot of yapping.

She guessed she deserved that much.

But she didn't give up.

She really wanted to sort out their feelings and what they meant to each other.

At the moment, she was confused as to whether they were just friends or lovers with a complicated relationship.

She was becoming impatient and annoyed at his ignorance towards her as of the moment, and she knew that even if she stabbed knives into his body and fired a gun at his head – he wouldn't listen.

But there _was _a thing that would _really_ make him listen.

* * *

Pulling out your phone, you dial the number you wanted to dial the least tonight.

You wait, the insides of your heart boiling in panic and nervousness.

When the person you are calling finally picks up, you take a deep breath and say:

"Kevin, I have to break up with you."

You see the man in front of you snap his head towards you, eyebrows furrowed, as if he's angry at you for doing such thing to capture his attention.

You know he is angry, tired, depressed and heartbroken.

But you know you could never miss that hopeful spark that just lit up in his beautiful eyes – those beautiful blue eyes that never ceases to make you fall for them, time after time.

* * *

Einstein was right.

Time moves at different speeds.

To Barney, the previous night raced by a blur.

But then, all of a sudden…

Time stopped.

* * *

_"I guess, what I'm trying to say is... I__ love you, Barney…"_

* * *

_Tick, tick, tick, tick… tick… tick._

* * *

Sometimes hours can feel like minutes.

And sometimes a single second can last a lifetime.

For Barney, a second that would _never_end…

Was this one.

* * *

**A/N: **I know it's sappy, but I've never cried because of a character in a movie died or maybe this character didn't get together with his/her love of their life or something. I always thought it was lame, if not a bit touching (but not touching enough to get me cry). But this time, I really did cry. "Tick, Tick, Tick…" actually brought tears of joy and sorrow to my eyes. HIMYM is completely awesome. I felt I should write a sad, angsty kind of story. And I did. :D I hope you guys enjoyed. (Did the continuous switch from second person to third person confuse you guys? Sorry if it did. I wanted it to seem more interesting.)


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